Germany's government wants the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship to go ahead without Russia

The 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship should still take place in Germany, and the German government wants to help make that happen. There is a catch: Berlin says it only works without Russia.

What happened?

After talks with the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) and the sport's world governing body, the IIHF, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said Berlin wants to support both organisations. The tournament is due to be held in May 2027.

"Our goal must be to hold the tournaments as planned," Kornelius said. But with Russia admitted, he added, that would "in practice not be possible" because of the boycotts. So the government now wants to explore solutions through talks, apparently including diplomatic channels.

Why is everyone talking about it?

The trigger was a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the top sports court. It overturned the IIHF's suspension of Russian teams from the 2027 World Championships. That suspension had been in place since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The reaction was fierce, and not only in Germany. Finland, the reigning world champion, plus Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Latvia and the Czech Republic said they would boycott possible games against Russia. Sponsors said they would pull out if Russia really plays.

The DEB has also considered a boycott. It is even weighing whether to hand back the hosting rights it won, and it has turned to the government for help.

What's next?

Kornelius said the aim is to resolve the situation in ice hockey, which is under heavy strain after so many federations announced they would withdraw. The government is backing the DEB's search for an agreed solution.

Earlier this week, Russia's hockey chief called the CAS ruling final, and Poland's federation spoke out against Russia's return. For now, there is no deal. The talks are only beginning.